Josie Duggar

[3prettyprincesses]

Oh, what a teeny little baby he was! Wow, what a wonderful story! It must have been frightening, just looking at those pictures is amazing. What a cutie pie! Thank you for sharing them and I agree with you that this special Duggar episode will shed a lot of light on what preemies go through to survive.

 

[VillageMama]

Oh, GEM, he's darling! What a cute little boy and what a precious tiny baby.

I saw a clip from the upcoming show and it's clear that Jim Bob is extremely scared. He was fighting back tears which made me fight back tears. I'm praying for Josie and all NICU babies.

 

[stephbillalec]

GEM, thank you for sharing your story. It brought tears to my eyes. Your son is a handsome little boy!

 

[KiKi Mouse]

GEM,

Glad your story has a happy ending Your son is beautiful, then and now

Whenever I hear pregnant Mom's say how 'done' they are with their pregnancy etc. and complain about everything I get upset because I know many parents who had preemies and there wasn't always happy endings.
I'm 33 weeks pregnant with my 5th (lost two babies) and I never take anything for granted. Every day with this one I still think...okay...if my baby were born today she should survive. I never complain about her kicking the crap out of my bladder etc. I am having a rough time sleeping due to my hips being sore, but it's a small price to pay and if I have to be in pain for the next 7 weeks so be it.

Thanks again for sharing the preemie stories. My BIL was a preemie, born at 32 weeks 21 years ago. My in laws are still thankful to the hospital for saving his live. My MIL's placenta was tearing away from the uterus and he was an emergency delivery.

 

[Amy&Dan]

GEM: I cannot believe how big your son has gotten! I have always enjoyed your posts and sig lines. He is a handsome young man!

I like the Duggars show. Its not your typical family for sure but it seems to work for them. Sometimes I laugh at how they say in the opening how they limit their kids' tv, while they make their living off tv! But again, they seem happy.

I think maybe we are all TLC'd out courtesy of John and Kate. That show and its chamber of horrors really pointed out how out of hand this reality can get for kids. I can't see the Duggars doing that but in the end, they do put their personal lives out there and sometimes that is hard to comprehend.

I hope Josie continues to improve. I didn't even know this had happened but I have been off the TLC radar lately due to John and Kate!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I could be wrong, but from the footage I saw, it looked like a home movie. It was all grainy looking and Jimbob was getting emotional over Michelle and the baby. Are we certain that TLC filmed the birth?

Depending on logistics and hospital policies, TLC has given the family a video camera to document what they were unavailable to film or unable to film.

So any grainy footage you see--was likely filmed in an alternative matter.


I am glad they are showing it. To me it says things are going well (for now).

I'm also glad they DELAYED airing it. This is the end of January and Josie was born nearly 6 weeks ago.

All prior baby specials were aired within a week or 2.

Whether it is a series or a one time deal, this is not the first nor last medical problem to be aired.

GEM--wow--congratulations on your now very healthy boy!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

This is funny, but I find JimBob creepy, too! Nothing to do with his religion, but something about him makes me do this .

Good news about Josie!

Sad to say that I have a very creepy relative. JimBob has always appeared normal to me as a result. A little goofy--but way closer to normal than the relative of mine.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I have my own suspicions about any man who calls himself "Jim Bob."

Gem, your son is adorable! I remember your posts back he was born, and I'm delighted to see him growing up so healthy. God bless.

It's amazing how many advancements have been made in caring for premature babies. Not so long ago, being born at 26 weeks was almost a guarantee of death or lifelong disabilities.

I'm no Duggar fan, but I wish Josie all the best.

 

[HelenePA]

TMZ.com has some pictures and a movie up of Josie. She is said to weigh in at 2lb6oz now. I would link you.. but someone (my one yr old) killed my mouse button so I can't copy paste..

 

[kafitty]

TMZ.com has some pictures and a movie up of Josie. She is said to weigh in at 2lb6oz now. I would link you.. but someone (my one yr old) killed my mouse button so I can't copy paste..

ctrl+C then ctrl+V

just watched the end of the birth special, it was very hard not to get teary-eyed when the older ones started crying because they were all so upset.

i wish them the best.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

GEM, thank you for sharing your story. You son is beautiful and I can't even begin to understand what that was like to have such a small baby. I know it is hard, but unless you have walked in those shoes, it's hard to fully understand. That's why I am glad that they are showing this.


I have to say that I think having that many children is crazy, but they are a beautiful, loving & caring family. I watched the show tonight and it brought tears to my eyes several times. You could see just how much they love each other tonight. I thought it was great that they all stepped up to the plate and took charge of things when they needed to. When all if the kids came in to see the new baby, it was so quite and when Jim Bob said that she was beautiful and perfect in everyway my heart just melted. Don't we all think that about our children? I know I do. God bless them all and I pray that this little baby is just as healthy as the rest of the children are.

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

I had a really hard time watching tonight's show. It was painful, just 4 months ago my baby was born and put in the NICU. That was the scariest moment for us, not knowing if your precious baby is going to live. Thankfully our baby is home and healthy. But I will NEVER forget seeing so many preemies in those rooms, how small and fighting for their lives. I am crying now just thinking of them and remembering seeing the parents ,standing over the incubators, staring at their helpless baby. I can also still hear the sound of all the monitors in the room in my memory and constantly looking up in fear to see if it is my child's alarms going off. I will also never forget the baby beside us, her mom came into visit, and the nurse was telling her the child had lost more weight and was now only 12 ozs., the mom just started crying.
I feel so bad for the Duggars, I totally understand their fears and worries. It doesn't matter if you like them or not, just please respect what they are going thru right now.. It's so hard. I think they are good parents and truly love their children and in this day and time, that's hard to find.

 

[Kimberle]

I was suprised the Duggars allowed the actual birth to be filmed. I expected the crew to be behind Michelle's head.

It was a very serious show. Poor Anna looked a little overwhelmed taking care of all those kids.

Josies is not "out of the woods" yet. She has a very long way to go. Even when she comes home, it can be years before they know if she has any learning disabilities.


I wish them the best.

 

[eeyoremum]

I was suprised the Duggars allowed the actual birth to be filmed. I expected the crew to be behind Michelle's head.

It was a very serious show. Poor Anna looked a little overwhelmed taking care of all those kids.
Josies is not "out of the woods" yet. She has a very long way to go. Even when she comes home, it can be years before they know if she has any learning disabilities.


I wish them the best.

I thought Anna looked like she might be pregnant again already. I even said to my son. Poor thing she is pregnant again already

 

[happygirl]

I thought Anna looked like she might be pregnant again already. I even said to my son. Poor thing she is pregnant again already

I don't think she is pregnant, Her baby was born in the middle of October and last night show was filmed in December. I guess it could happend, I get the feeling they don't want that many kids, I think after takiing care of all those babies they aren't going to be in any hurry

 

[DMRick]

I thought Anna looked like she might be pregnant again already. I even said to my son. Poor thing she is pregnant again already

I wondered that myself.

I was surprised they showed so much, such as the actual birth. I went between sadness for them, joy at how well she's doing, to disbelieve they were showing such private moments. But I never turned my head away, because I loved seeing those private moments. It was hard not to join the tears, when all of the kids came to see Josie. Definately it was very hard for the older kids to see that tiny baby. I'm so glad they have God to lean on during this hard time. I hope Josie continues to do well. The only time I noticed graininess was when the older kids were being taped. I do have to say I think my kids (at least the younger ones that were there) would not have gone, if a parent couldn't have been with them. I can't imagine if something had gone wrong while they were thre, to one of them, how it would have been handled. Although they did have their friend and camera crew..but still, I would have put the trip off.

What I could have done without is the younger kids at home. I think we saw what usually they stop filming at..loud kids into everything LOL. It really reminded me of the wild times at K & J's house. Whew, if it's always like that I would lose my mind. I also find their older son hard to listen to. I don't know why.

 

[lucas]

People magazine article:
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20340306,00.html

As if Josie Brooklyn Duggar's birth wasn't harrowing enough, after she arrived Dec. 10, nearly three months premature, her condition worsened just a week later.

Born at 25 weeks after mom Michelle was diagnosed with preeclampsia, Josie weighed only 1 lb., 6 oz. Eight days later, her bowel perforated, her parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar tell PEOPLE.

The micropreemie was rushed from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Ark., the hospital where she was born, to Arkansas Children's Hospital, her parents at her side.

"She developed a spontaneous bowel perforation," explains her physician, Dr. Robert Arrington, co-director of the neonatal intensive care unit. "She responded to placement of an abdominal drain, plus antibiotics, and did not require an open operation." It was wonderful news for her frightened parents that their tiniest baby would not require surgery. "Dr. Arrington knows how to think outside the box and come up with different creative solutions," says a grateful Jim Bob, 44. "Josie is walking a daily tightrope to keep her vitals stable and the nurses and the whole team here has been wonderful."

"Having reached this point in her hospital course, she should continue to gain weight and develop," says Arrington of Josie, who now weighs 2 lbs., 3 oz. He expects her to be discharged several weeks before her original due date of March 18.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

I too watched last night and some parts brought me to tears. Particulary when all of the siblings came in to see little Josie and some of them got emotional. And also when Jimbob said that this was going to change their lives forever.

I'm surprised too that they showed quite so much of the delivery but I wonder if they were thinking that they might lose Josie so this would be a keepsake? Either way, it was shocking to see such a little baby and it moved me to tears several times. I do think it completely floored and humbled both Jimbob and Michelle. I hope Josie continues to fight, she looked pretty darn spunky and squirmy to me. I wish them nothing but the best.

I think Josh and Anna handled the little kids fairly well. Although I probably would've been pulling out my hair at how wild they were! Josh and Anna looked pretty exhausted so I'm thinking too that they won't be in any hurry to fill their house with a ton of kids.

A little OT but did you all notice Michelle call Jimbob "Jim" last night? I don't remember her doing that before.

 

[nuke]

I haven't watched the show yet but hope to this week.

I worked in a hospital a while ago and I remember walking through the nicu and being absolute shocked to the point of tears at how small some of those babies were. It upset me for days and I'll never forget it.

My son was in the NICU for only 4 days and I remember how scared I was then. I can't imagine having a micro-preemie and having that fear for months on end.

 

[charming23]

Last night was very difficult to watch especially when all the kids came into to see their baby sister and realized just how small and fragile that Josie is. I was happy to see that despite all the risks with a premature baby they were celebrating and not being all doom and gloom over the situation. I hope she continues to do better and grows up to be a happy and healthy girl.